Bookkeeper sentenced in embezzlement cases
Laura Leonard, a Simi Valley office manager and bookkeeper who was convicted of grand theft and embezzlement, was sentenced April 28 to three years and eight months in prison and ordered to pay restitution.
Leonard was an office manager for Simi Valley-based Protek CNC Sales. The company discovered she was embezzling funds in 2019, and that she had stolen about $315,000 from the business by double-paying herself with the company payroll and credit cards. Leonard hid what she was doing by hiding the transactions in Protek’s account ledgers, according to an April 28 news release from Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko’s office.
On Dec. 21, 2020, Leonard pleaded guilty to four counts of grand theft and admitted an aggravated white-collar crime enhancement.
Sophie, a Calabasas nonprofit Leonard did part-time bookkeeping work for, reported her to the Simi Valley Police Department after news of Leonard’s conviction came out. SVPD determined Leonard stole approximately $20,000 from the nonprofit, and on March 29, Leonard pleaded guilty to embezzling from Sophie.
